Example jobs
Case studies of customer work. Some are protected by NDA.
GAS Turbine Blades
Client: A utility power generation facility operating General Electric LM6000 gas turbines.
Specific Challenge: Gas turbine blades accumulate combustion deposits. Cleaning occurs both “online” where the machine is kept running, and “offline” on a 3-month overhaul cycle while the turbine is stopped. Traditional cleaning like abrasive blasting or chemical cleaning can potentially damage delicate thermal barrier coatings. We were contacted to try a pilot laser cleaning to test speed, precision, ability to remove contaminants without affecting the base material, and also allow for on-site cleaning. The minimizing of downtime of the machine allowed it to be operated soon after without needing to remove the blades.
Substrate: Nickel-based superalloy with specialized thermal barrier coatings. The blades also have complex geometries on the inside with intricate cooling channels.
Contaminants: Turbine blades become contaminated with carbon deposits, metallic oxides and sulfates. The most diffilcult was a solid layer of vanadium pentoxide that’s a corrosive byproduct of combustion and can also accelerate degradation of the blade.
Machine Settings: Netalux Jango used general parameters (specific settings are proprietary and adjusted per project): Pulse frequency: 50-150 kHz, Power: 60-90%, Scan speed: 150-250 mm/s. These settings were tested first to ensure zero coating damage or other effects.
Timeline: The project involved cleaning a small subset of turbine blades from the compressor section during a 3-month interval scheduled maintenance period. The cleaning process took two days, totaling approximately 16 hours of laser cleaning.
Estimated Cost: $6,000 - $8,000. This cost range reflects Z-Beam's hourly rate for specialized industrial laser cleaning services, considering the complexity of the blades, the challenging contaminants, the on-site work, and the critical nature of the components.
Actual Cost Example: The final cost for this project was $7,210.
Result: We successfully removed all contaminant layers, including the corrosive vanadium pentoxide, restoring the blades to nominal condition. The thermal barrier coatings and blade geometry remained intact.
Stainless Steel Welds for a Fabrication Company
Client: A mid-sized welding fab company specializing in high-precision stainless steel tanks and components for the food processing industry. They build custom tanks, piping systems, and processing equipment requiring exceptionally clean and smooth welds.
Specific Challenge: Removal of heat tint and weld discoloration from their stainless steel fabrications. Grinding and chemical pickling were either too abrasive or used harsh chemicals. They wanted a more precise and easy solution that wouldn't compromise weld integrity. Additionally, weld spatter was common and is difficult to remove without damage to the surrounding material.
Substrate: The substrate was 316L stainless steel, a common material in food processing. The welds were TIG welds that are susceptible to heat tint and spatter.
Contaminants: Typical stainless steel weld contaminants include heat tint (chromium oxide), weld spatter, slag, and oil/grease from the fabrication process. The weld spatter was not only difficult to remove mechanically but also creates a risk of crevice corrosion if left untreated. Safety precautions included ensuring adequate ventilation due to potential airborne particles generated during laser cleaning, as well as the use of appropriate PPE, including laser safety eyewear, gloves and respirators.
Machine Settings: The Netalux Jango's ability to deliver high peak power with adjustable pulse duration lets us adjust for faster removal of embedded weld spatter. The scanning mode is set with a specific overlap to ensure uniform cleaning across the weld areas. A typical setup might involve a power range of 50-70% and a frequency of 10-20 kHz, but these are starting points and would be fine-tuned on-site. The cleaning process was relatively fast, removing the contaminants at a rate of approximately 10-20 cm²/minute.
Timeline: The estimated project duration for cleaning all the welds on a single large custom tank was 16 hours.
Estimated Cost: The estimated cost for this project was between $4,000 and $4,500. This range is based on Z-Beam's hourly rates depending on the complexity of the job, the size of the project, and the required level of expertise.
Actual Cost: $4,200.
Result: Heat tint, weld discoloration and weld spatter were removed without damaging the underlying stainless steel.
roman Marble relief
Client: A private art collector with a significant collection of stone and marble sculpture.
Specific Challenge: A marble relief of a Roman goddess had accumulated layers of grime, including soot from decades of exposure to environmental pollution and residues from previous, less-than-ideal cleaning attempts. Traditional cleaning methods, such as chemical cleaning, posed a risk of damaging the delicate marble surface and potentially altering the original patina. Abrasive blasting was a no-go. Laser cleaning was chosen for its precision and ability to remove contaminants without affecting the underlying marble.
Substrate: Roman-era Carrara marble with a slightly aged surface. There was also some minor hairline cracking.
Contaminants: A combination of atmospheric grime, including soot, dust, and organic residues. The most difficult was a layer of hardened wax applied during a previous attempt to "protect" the relief. This wax had discolored over time and was stubbornly adhered into the marble's pores and could not be brushed out.
Machine Settings: Our machine was set with general parameters (specific settings are proprietary and adjusted per project): Pulse frequency: 100-200 kHz, Power: 50-80%, Scan speed: 200-300 mm/s. These parameters are carefully adjusted based on test patches on the reverse of the piece before proceeding.
Timeline: The project was completed over three days, totaling approximately 18 hours of laser cleaning.
Estimated Cost: $5,000 - $6,000. This cost range is based on Z-Beam's hourly rate for specialized laser cleaning services, considering the complexity of the project, the time required, and the specialized expertise involved.
Actual Cost: The final cost for this project was $5,500.
Result: The laser cleaning process successfully removed all surface contaminants, including the stubborn wax layer, without damaging the delicate marble. The relief’s original beauty was restored, revealing fine details hidden before.
Plastic Injection Molds
Client: A mid-sized plastics manufacturer specializing in parts for the automotive industry. Their components are intricate and have high end surface finish requirements.
Specific Challenge: This client struggles with residue buildup. Theair current cleaning methods include dry ice blasting, chemical cleaning, and manual scrubbing. Abrasive blasting can alter the critical surface finish, affecting the quality of the molded parts. Chemical cleaning causes environmental concerns within California and can etch or discoloring the molds. Manual scrubbing was labor-intensive, inconsistent, and could also lead to surface damage.
Substrate: The injection molds were constructed from H13 and S7 hardened tool steel. The mold surfaces were highly polished to achieve the desired finish on the plastic parts. Maintaining this surface finish was critical.
Contaminants: The primary contaminants were plastic residue (including release agents and polymer byproducts), oils, and grease. A particularly challenging contaminant was carbonized plastic buildup, a tough, baked-on layer that accumulated over time, especially in intricate mold cavities and tight corners. This carbonized layer was difficult to remove without damaging the mold. The client also uses a specific release agent that creates a very tenacious film buildup. Safety precautions included ensuring proper ventilation to manage any airborne particles generated during the laser cleaning process. PPE, including laser safety eyewear and respirators, were mandatory.
Machine Settings: Z-Beam used the Netalux Jango laser cleaning system. For the removal of plastic residue, oils, and grease, a low to medium power setting (40-50% of machine capacity) with a high pulse frequency (30-40 kHz) is employed. This allowed for the gentle removal of the contaminants without affecting the mold surface. For the more stubborn carbonized plastic and release agent film, a medium to high power setting (50-60%) and a lower frequency (15-20 kHz) with multiple passes were used to break down the contaminant layer safely.
Timeline: The cleaning of two complex injection molds was completed in one day (approximately 8 hours of cleaning time). This included setup, cleaning, and post-cleaning inspection.
Estimated Cost: The estimated cost for this project ranged from $1,600 to $2,400. This range is based on Z-Beam's standard hourly rate for industrial laser cleaning services, which typically falls between $200 and $300 per hour. The cost variation depends on the complexity of the molds, the extent of contamination, and the total cleaning time required.
Actual Cost Example: The actual cost for this specific project was $2,000. This covered the 8 hours of cleaning time, including the more intensive work required for the carbonized plastic and release agent removal.
Result: The laser cleaning process effectively removed all contaminants from the injection molds, including the challenging carbonized plastic and tenacious release agent film, without damaging the surfaces or altering the finish.